10 Must-Have Cookbooks for Healthy Food Lovers

With long, dark winter evenings that have you craving comforting foods, a brand new year with healthy resolutions looming on the horizon and the holiday season in full swing, now is the perfect time to expend your healthy meal repertoire with one of these must-have cookbooks! Which one will you put on your wish list or buy as a present?

If you’re the slightest bit interested in healthy food blogs, chances are you’ve come across Green Kitchen Stories. Known for their gorgeous photography and mouthwatering recipes, Scandinavian couple David and Luise combine healthy pantry staples with in-season produce to create inspiring vegetarian meals that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

Their first cookbook The Green Kitchen (also published as Vegetarian Everyday in the United States) features delicious recipes for any time of day. From flour-free banana pancakes for breakfast to small bites, light meals and family dinners, these nourishing dishes will turn healthy eating into a feast, for plant-based eaters and meat lovers alike. My all-time favourite recipes include the Broccoli Salad with Pomegranate and Raisins, the Portobello Peach Burgers (with sweet potato fries!) and of course that Decadent Beetroot and Chocolate Cake.

For even more colourful and globally inspired dishes, you can also check out theGreen Kitchen Travelscookbook.

After taking the humble porridge to new heights at her tiny shop in London, Alex Hely – Hutchinson has now collected over a 100 wholesome recipes starring whole grains in her debut cookbook 26 Grains. Inspired by the Danish concept of hygge, the artisan porridges, grain-based lunch salads, rice dishes and treats like crumble and cookies help you recreate that sense of coziness in your own home.

Besides the original recipes, 26 Grains also contains the nutritional profiles of 8 commonly used grains as well as templates on how you can build porridges, pancakes and grain patties with ingredients from your own cupboard. These little extra’s is what makes 26 Grains a great gift for anyone who loves a warming, comforting bowl of goodness!

The philosophy of the famous British TV chef is simple: food should be shared and celebrated. In Everyday Super Food, Jamie Oliver shares nutritionally balanced recipes that tickle your taste buds. The three meals a day featured are all based around veggies, fruit and wholegrain carbs, garnished with small amount of animal protein like meat, egg and dairy products.

Drawing inspiration from all around the world, Jamie shows you how to make healthy versions of Bombay chicken with cauliflower, Mexican spiced prawns or Italian pumpkin lasagna. Other chapters are devoted to low caloric snacks (flavoured popcorn, cucumber boats and fro-yo fun) and basic advice on a balanced diet. What’s more, each recipe contains the nutritional information per serving.

Everyday Super Food is a good book for omnivores who want to give their food patterns a healthy makeover, without focusing on a specific diet – or anyone excited to try fresh, bold flavours from global cuisines.

In his bestselling cookbook Plenty, the Israeli-British restaurant owner Yotam Ottolenghi has collected 120 vibrant vegetable recipes, each centered around one ingredient: The Mighty Aubergine, Mushrooms, Green Things… Although not a vegetarian himself, Ottolenghi’s innovative and Middle-Eastern flavoured dishes take meatless eating to a new level.

Praised as “a celebration of flavours, colours and textures”, Plenty has slightly more complicated recipes and longer ingredient lists than your standard cookbook. This salute to fresh produce may not be for newbie chefs, but it’s definitely a great addition for more seasoned home cooks who’d love to discover a surprisingly new take on vegetables.

Sisters Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley believe in nourishing your body with the best ingredients available: organic meat and fish, bone broth, fermented foods and low carb vegetables. The Art of Eating Well is packed with 150 creative grain-free recipes you can enjoy every day; from muffin frittatas for breakfast to bringing kelp pot noodles to work and dining with beef ragout and courgetti. What’s more, the book also covers tutorials on making basic broths and nut butters, how to do a Sunday meal prep session and tips for dining out.

With all the satisfying meals and nutritional advice, The Art of Eating Well makes a enjoyable guidebook for fans of the traditional food lifestyle and people who don’t tolerate gluten, grains and sugar well.

In Simple Green Smoothies, friends Jen Hansard and Jadah Sellner recount how they’ve turned their lifestyles around by embracing one simple habit: drinking a green smoothie each day. Their book features over a 100 tasty green smoothie recipes for every occasion: fueling your workout, boosting your immunity or sneaking some extra veggies into your kids.

To get you started, Simple Green Smoothies includes a 10-day Kickstart Plan with shopping lists, essential info on leafy greens and which blender to use. If you want to add more health-boosting nutrients to your diet in just 5 minutes a day, this book is just for you. Whether you’re new to the green smoothie world or a need to jump back on the bandwagon, Simple Green Smoothies promises you’ll soon be a ‘rawesome’ spinach lover too!

On her widely popular blog My New Roots, holistic nutritionist Sarah Britton inspires millions of people to revitalize their health and palate, one delicious bite at a time. Now she has bundled her accessible plant-based recipes into a cookbook with the same name.

The recipes in My New Roots are organized by season, but as a true produce lover Sarah actually distinguishes 5 different seasons, differentiating between early and late Summer. After taking you through essential techniques like soaking grains, growing sprouts and making nut milk, the appealing photography will have you craving the Life-Changing Loaf of Bread with Olives and Caraway, Pina Colada popsicles and White Bean Fondue. The My New Roots cookbookmakes it simple and exciting to incorporate more plant-based foods into your daily diet.

Also be on the lookout for Sarah Britton’s upcoming book “Naturally Nourished” expected in February 2017 for healthy, delicious meals made with everyday ingredients.

Australia’s food publishing powerhouse Donna Hay shares her fresh approach to healthy eating in her latest cookbook Life in Balance. Feel good recipes enriched with nature’s super food like broccoli, berries and oats are put in the spotlight, but better-for-you treats like the flourless chocolate cake with marinated fruits are not forgotten. It’s all about balance after all!

Photography enthousiasts will notice that the images accompanying the recipes are relatively raw and dark compared to Donna’s characteristic light and clean visual style, but the food still looks as stunning and tasty as usual.

What’s a foodie without ‘guilty’ pleasures? Bestselling author Julie Morris proves in her book Superfood Snacks that finger-licking good snacks and healthy eating can go hand in hand. Her nutrient-dense bars and bites deliver irresistible flavour, with the added power of superfoods like chia seeds, goji berries and maca. From Pizza Kale Crisps to Apricot Quinoa Squares and Mint Truffles, these snacks will nourish and satisfy you.

Throughout the book, you’ll find also Feel Good Facts and Superfood Boosts, as well as tips for stocking your pantry and how to conquer cravings. Perfect for those of us who’s biggest obstacle to healthy eating is needing something to munch on in between meals!

Nutrition Stripped, the debut cookbookfrom registered dietitian nutritionist McKel Hill, celebrates whole food in its simplest form. Unprocessed, plant-based and gluten-free, the 100 good-for-you recipes will help you enjoy the amazing health benefits that natural foods have to offer.

McKell has translated her extensive nutritional knowledge in well-balanced dishes and drinks, from her famous Turmeric Milk and nourishing suppers to small bites that keep you energised. Nutrition Stripped also features helpful practices to put your healthy eating plans into action, such as meal planning and batch cooking. So if you want to cook more real, nutrient-dense meals for a vibrant life, check out the Nutrition Stripped cookbook and blog!

What is your all-time favourite healthy cookbook? And which of these 10 must-haves are on your wish list?

This blog post contains affiliate links. That means that when you buy a cookbook through some of the links mentioned, you will support The Health Sessions by letting me earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

Sign up for weekly updates

Would you like to receive in-depth health advice in your mailbox? Fill in your email address to get the latest updates.

Leave this field empty if you're human:

The Health Sessions

Your weekly dose of in-depth advice on a healthy lifestyle and coping with chronic illness.

About me

I’m a psychologist living with chronic illness. I want to help you feel as energetic, symptom-free and happy as possible, by showing you how to create lasting health habits and by giving you advice on how to cope with (chronic) health problems.